16 



The Florists^ Review 



. Adgost 13, 1914. 



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I ^ SUGGESTIONS i 







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Lilium Candidum. 



The war in Europe will probably 

 delay the arrival of Lilium candidum. 

 This is to be regretted, because, un- 

 like all other lilies, it commences soon 

 after the bulbs are matured to make 

 new roots and leaves. For this reason 

 it is to be feared that any hampers or 

 cases which have been packed and 

 which, due to lack of transportation 

 facilities, are held up at the docks in 

 France, will be seriously damaged, if 

 not ruined entirely. The true, broad- 

 petaled form of L. candidum comes 

 from the north of France, usually arriv- 

 ing here early in September. Serious 

 delays in arrival are a certainty, and 

 when the bulbs do arrive it would be 

 well to pot immediately and not blame 

 the seedsmen for what is surely far 

 beyond their control. 



Candidums should not be grown in 

 small pots; 8-inch and 10-inch are the 

 best. These will contain three to six 

 bulbs each, according to size. Just 

 cover the bulbs with soil. Do not 

 water unless the soil is quite dry. 

 Stand the pots outdoors in the full 

 sun, but protect from heavy rains. If 

 the pots are heavily soaked at once, 

 there is danger of many of the scales, 

 or possibly the entire bulb, rotting. 

 Use a bed of sand below the bulbs and 

 fill in between the scales with the same 

 material. 



Formosa Lilies. 



While the Formosa lily grows too 

 tall in the main to be useful as a pot 

 plant, for cutting fr.om Christmas until 

 Easter it is invaluable. The bulbs are 

 due to arrive soon and should be potted 

 at once in 5-inch and 6-inch pots accord- 

 ing to their size. There are consider- 

 able variations in Formosa lilies. Like 

 all seedlings, the flowers are sometimes 

 pure white inside and out, while in 

 other cases the outside of the trumpet 

 is almost as dark as L. Brownii. Great 

 points in favor of Formosa lilies are 

 their comparative freedom from disease, 

 the fact that they naturally flower 

 early and the further fact that the 

 flowers can be cut with long stems. 



Lilium Speciosum. 



Where a crop of Lilium speciosum 

 is wanted from December to February, 

 cold storage bulbs should be potted 

 now. Do not place single bulbs in a 

 pot, as in the case of L. longiflorum. 

 Usdfe 7-inch and 8-inch pots, standing 

 the bulbs as closely as possible in the 

 pots in a cellar or frame, where they 

 will be shaded and comparatively cool. 

 If the soil is at all dry, water well; 

 then go somewhat slow on watering 

 until the plants are in active growth. 

 Speciosums will start to grow quickly 

 and must be gradually inured to light 

 as growths appear. For cutting they 

 will be found to do well in boxes con- 

 taining six inches of soil. 



The speciosums potted last winter 

 will now be flowering. The blooms may 

 come out more rapidly than is desired. 



It is a good plan, therefore, to stand 

 some in a cool, dry cellar. Pick off all 

 pollen masses to keep the flowers clean. 

 After all the flowers are cut the bulbs 

 may be planted outdoors^ where they 

 will give useful cutting late next sum- 

 mer. Plant the bulbs a foot deep for 

 best results. 



Japanese Iris. 



In order to have the best success with 

 Japanese iris, they should be trans- 

 planted during the present month. 

 They do best in well enriched soil in 

 which they can be kept well watered, 

 or even flooded, up to the flowering 

 period, and in winter be kept dry at 

 the root. The soil, therefore, should 

 be well drained. It is dampness at the 

 root in winter, and not cold, which kills 

 80 many Japanese iris. 



Show Ptiargoniums. 



Show pelargoniums should now be 

 well ripened, after a resting of some 

 weeks on' their sides in the full sun, 

 and they can be stood up and pruned 

 back rather hard. Do not shake out. 



Repot the plants at once. Water them 

 moderately and spray freely. As soon 

 as they start to break freely is the 

 time to overhaul them. Shake the 

 soil nearly clean away, and start in 

 smaller Sized pots than they have been 

 growing in; also cut back the long 

 roots at this time. 



Mignonette. 



There is no advantage in sowing 

 mignonette earlier than the middle of 

 August, as the plants started during so 

 hot a period will start to flower, in 

 spite of pinching back, at a time when 

 the flowers have little value. Sow the 

 seeds directly in the beds or benches a 

 foot apart each way; Sow more seeds 

 than are needed and thin out to- two 

 or three in each patch. The soil should 

 be well enriched with cow or horse 

 manure and not less than six inches 

 deep. Solid beds are preferable to 

 benches, as they ensure cooler condi- 

 tions for the roots and a more even 

 moisture, but good mignonette can be 

 produced in benches. Mignonette re 

 quires a low temperature. The winter 

 minimum should run from 40 to 45 

 degrees. 



THE DBACSNA AND CBOTON. 



The two places of the Robert Craig 

 Co. require close attention to keep pace 

 with the cultural ideas of the day. The 

 stock grown there and the methods em- 

 ployed express the ideas of some of 

 the brightest minds in our profession. 



The draespna is undoubtedly the 



Dracaena Ctidgii, 



